> I suspect it's an attempt to wage "economic" warfare. Under WTO rules national security is a virtual get out of jail free card for protectionism. It's not li

> I suspect it's an attempt to wage "economic" warfare. Under WTO rules national security is a virtual get out of jail free card for protectionism. It's not like the US has to care too much about the WTO as the WTO has effectively been out of business for these past years due to the US blocking the appointment of new appeal judges [0] So even if the WTO rules in favor of China, which it actually did on the steel tariffs [1], all the US needs to do is to appeal the decision and the WTO ruling will be stuck for all eternity in the appeals court, as that can't rule on the appeal without at least three judges. [0] https://www.dw.com/en/wto-judge-blockage-could-prove-the-beginning-of-the-end/a-51613082 https://www.dw.com/en/wto-judge-blockage-could-prove-the-beg... [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/09/15/wto-trump-china-trade/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/09/15/wto-trump...